


A whiskey on a Rocky Start

by CrepefilledBungolos



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Along with will, Dustin is #1 best friend, El just loves her papa hop dude, F/M, Inspired Work, M/M, Mike is very confused, Mileven, Mileven renunion, Multi, Star wars refrensises, This title is so chessy i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-05 11:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14043675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrepefilledBungolos/pseuds/CrepefilledBungolos
Summary: After a long day all El wants to do is get a drink at a bar in her beloved Manhattan. She doesn't expect to see old memories sneak up on her but surely knows she won't be able to hide anymore.___Probably Muliti-ChapterReunion AU/ Mileven after that





	1. The one where she can't hide anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by @SecretChocolateStash 's work in Free Falling, that's where I got the bar idea. Idk hope you enjoy :]

The glass door opens, causing a gust of briskly cold winter wind to rush in along with a petite girl, the traces of smoke cling lightly onto her white buttoned blouse and wild curls. To odd eyes she’d seem out of place in the big apple but to her she seemed out of place everywhere.

It’s loud in here, obnoxiously loud. As soon as she walks in a man talking to what seems to be his wife (since they wore the same matching wedding bands. tinted in shiny gold that wraps on the fourth ring finger on the right arm) looks up. Memorizing her slightly baggy ripped boyfriend jeans hungrily, she give him a disgusted look and hooks her thumb under the Caramel satchel that ran across her body taking one of the parlor seats. Her leather covered elbow holding the weight of her head as she waits to ask for her drink.

The neon sign behind the bartender blend into her big brown eyes for a secound .Hoppers gonna be so pissed if he finds out she’s in this place, illegally. But she’s got a fake ID she’ll improvise. She snaps out of the thought when the the man in a snazzy vest asks her what she’d like to drink.

“A Whiskey on the rocks” she answers, the bartender nods and goes to work on the beverage. She’s surprised for a moment, since he didn’t ask for any identification, but the place is packed the guy must be tired by now, or the liquid eyeliner is working wonders for a casual looking 18 year old.

She looks side to side, searching the faces that lined the stools, happy expressions, a few stressed some flirty. Different people with different stories in the same place at the same time with different intentions. she sits there twidling her thumbs, she’s never been to a bar alone But seemed like thr right thing to do when she passes it. She was coming straight out of New York Public Library after being stressed out about all the essays sent to her and projects assigned and the only thing on her head after hours of work was.

“I need a drink”

She looked down at her creamy white hands and pretended to be normal for a solid 30 seconds, then she opened her satchel and took out a Dare Devil comic. “What's the point, these are all just some strangers” she convinces herself and gets sucked into the comic almost missing when the bartender slide her the drink she had ordered, she gave a thankful nod, grabbed her drink and siping on the straw, she flips to the next page.

—

after she’s half way through the comic, all thats sliding through her straw is air with the slight taste of ice with alcoholic residue. She calls the bartender and does a roll with her finger, like she sees the adults do in the movies. He nods and takes the cup and she’s proud of herself for looking so..Mature. Hopper would be proud, I mean not about the bar thing, he’d be furious. But about her acting like a real adult, he had been hesitant about letting her go to Manhattan, it was an hour away from Hartsdale and the little house they had. But she gave him valid points and promised to call. And El /never/ breaks a promise. So he let her go, even if her loses shit here and there when its 4 Am and she calls him “Just to talk” since her sleep scedual is everywhere lately.

And to be honest, she had been scared too. About making friends and passing classes. El was smart, absorbing information like a sponge, but when it came to communication with other people, her luck was cut short. But it had been Ok, her dorm mate was nice and so were some of the people in her classes. inviting her to eat and go out. Sometimes she did, most times she didn’t, It didn’t feel…right? She was just born to be an outcast she guessed.

the bartender gives her the drink and she grabs it and drinks it, to sucked into her comic to pay attention to the warm body that takes the empty stool next to her.

“Dare Devil? What volume?” The voice asks, she doesn’t bother to look up

“3”

“ah, I love that one” he gives a little snort in the end, unintentionally. Its familiar causing her to look up.

holy shit

“Dustin” she breaths, and she knows he doesn’t hear it through the tapping of glasses and sounds of chatter . Theres no way in hell he knows what she just said.

She stares at him and he smiles in confusion. His cheeks had hallowed out showing off his jawline, and his hair was styled in short curls as he smiled his blue eyes crinkled in the only way she’s seen in his face as he showed off his pearls of white teeth

“Holy shit you have teeth” he didn’t hear it but he read it off her lips

That causes him to inspect her, the features of her face, something about the amber in her eyes and button nose remind him of Hawkins.

Wait

no it couldn’t be.

“El?”

She mutters a curse word under her breath but he swings his arm around her in a tight hug and in an instant she hugs back just as tight. its a bit weird since their both still sitting.

After a second they let go, both eyes are a bit watery, god he hasn’t seen her in what? 6 /years/! They thought she was dead but she was here, alive and well.

“How are you here?”

She’s gulps but dustin keeps talking

“How are you alive?”

“I-“

“Holy shit the party’s gonna freak” the boy exclaims’

“No!” She puts her hand out

“No?” 

She shakes her head “You can’t tell them, they can’t know I’m here or that you saw me”

he’s eyebrows scrunch up “Why?”

She sighs “Its a long story”

Dustin looks back somewhere and El follows his gaze to a round table filled with her old friends and three other members (a boy and two girl), her heart drops when Will looks right at her with questioning eyes, she quickly turns away as if the sight burned her and starts to stuff the comic into her satchel 

“Wait El” She plops a certain amount of cash on the counter and speed walks through sweaty body for the exit.

When she gets outside a big hand gently grabs her wrist causing her to turn

“Listen I promise to not tell the others but I have to know whats going on and then we work out how to tell the others” 

She shakes her head

“Fine we won’t tell the others, but-“ he doesn’t finish, knowing El probably knows the rest, god thats weird

She huffs and grabs a pen from her satchel, lessens the grip dustin has on her arm to write the dorms phone number on his arm.

“You Promise.” She states to which he nods and she does it back.

After she whistles a taxi and says a “Nice to see you again, dustin” and he returns it “same here El” 

She gives a small smile and gets into the cab and Dustin walks back in after it zooms away.

—

“How’d it do dusty?” Max asks when dustin plops into his seat

“Same old” he shrugs 

And the subjects dropped with Lucas roaring in drunk laughter and a few giggles come from the girl snaking Mike’s arm lovenly.

Dustin downs the cup of copper colored whiskey in one shot, and shouts “ONE MORE ROUND”

Will eyes him for a second as his boyfriend snuggles him into his side. All Will knows it that dustin,

Is one hell of a /terrible/ liar.


	2. The one that Dustin's a FBI agent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin's a firkin CSI agent and then a little Criminal Minds in there too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love the idea of Hopper taking El to New York

When she had raced up the steps of her dorm building and shut the room door behind her with a loud slam, thats when she started to freak out.

Not only had she broken her promise to hopper about not contacting the boys after the “incident” in 1984, because it would be dangerous for them. But she also gave Dustin her number and would have to explain what the hell was going on for the half a dozen years she was missing. Holy Shit! Maybe she could just Lie or something ignore his calls…Holy Shit Hoppers gonna kill me!

“Hey Janie” her roommate walks through the kitchen, in her sleep attire and her raven black hair thrown up in a glob on the top of her head, she’s obviously surprised to see her there since El’s usually asleep at this time.

“Hey Jen, Did I wake you up?”

“No” she eyes her and then looks at the clock “It’s 1 in the morning, and the Library closes at 12 so where have you been for the last hour?” Jenny grabs a bowl from the cabinet and moves to the fridge for milk

“No where, What are you? A detective?” El grabs the box of cereal for her and places it on the counter 

“Planning to be.” She pours the cereal into the bowl “You smell like alcohol” 

“I only had like two drinks how the hell do I smell like alcohol” she shakes her head with a confused smile

“Ah, So you admit you weren’t at the library, you were at the bar” she takes a spoon from one of the drawers and smiles as El realizes what had just happened.

“I was, but then I needed a drink” El shrugs 

“Mhmm” she responds through a mouthful of cereal “Why?” 

El shakes her head and put her hands up innocently “I am not doing this” and exits the room 

“Jane!”

“Nope!”

“I’LL FIND OUT JANIE” A door shuts in the distant “I ALWAYS DO”

—

“JANE!”

El rolls over in her bed causing the warm winter sunlight to shine on her pasty eyelids, she squirmed away from it, hiding under a soft quilt.

“JANE! GET THE DOOR!”

El takes the blanket off of her with a huff

“I’M SLEEPING!”

“NOT ANYMORE!”

“YOU GET IT!”

“YOUR ALREADY AWAKE AND I HAVE TO MEET SOME FAMILY LATER”

With a huff, El stood up from her bed and sent her roommate a glare as she passed the bathroom, the door’s pounding flooded her ears and she walked to the front door, undid the locks and opened it

“Jesus Christ Dustin, How the hell did you-“ she places her hand on the bridge of her nose.

“Listen, El” He walks past her into the apartment uninvitedly, Eleven closes the door behind him 

“I thought that you haven’t tried to you know /contact/ Us, so I figured you wouldn’t answer my calls after the 10th time” Dustin crosses his arms 

“Dustin come on”

“And since your lying to your old friends, and friends don’t lie isn’t a thing anymore-“ Dustin says, his arm now up in disbelief

El shakes her head “Dustin, Its complicated”

“Then Explain” He fires back

There’s a silent battle for a second, Blue eyes against Brown until Jenny appears from the hallway

“Hi? Whose this Jane?” Jenny asks unsure

“Jane?” Dustin asks

“He’s an old friend, go on your whatever, I’ll be fine”

Her roommate eyes her in a silent “We’ll talk about it later” and exits the house

“So, you gonna tell me or not?”

———

She goes into the whole story about how after the upside down she went to Mikes house and couldn’t stay because of the bad men, that she spent a month in the woods until hopper found her, how He took her in and then got offered a job in New York and took it with El along. How after he’d paid a guy that tutored her, Hopper got a house in the edge of Hartsdale, she had gotten into high school ended up with good grade and moved away to Rochester University just a few months back. (She leaves out what happened in 84’, he doesn’t need to know about that she tells herself)

Dustin Explains after a few gasps and nods that most of the others thought she was dead, how they grieved for a while and that they met Max (“She’s a badass redhead you’d guy would really get along” “do you like her?” “Not anymore”) How Mike, even if his intestity died down, always thought she was somewhere out there, and he was right. Explains everything about each member and how they have been since 83’  
(He Leaves out the part about Mikes girlfriend,Nevaeh. She doesn’t need to know that he tells himself)

after the telling of stories and a few laughs (“You Haven’t watched star wars?!” “Never got around to It.”  
“/NEVER GOT AROUND TO IT?!/“)

“When are you going to tell the others?” He asks, playing with the spoon in the heated mug filled with sweet chocolatey hot cocoa as they sit in the love seat of the small living room

“Im not” she shakes her head, her gaze falling down to her lap

“El-“

“I can’t Dustin” she looks him in the eye “If I do, I break a promise, and I may have lied but I don’t break promises,Ever. And you being here just goes against my own word” she shakes her head once again

“From who, Hopper?”

she stays silent 

“El, we all have weaknesses, you can control when you lie but I can’t keep a secret to save my life, so it’s either we tell them together or I accidentally blurt it out”

“Isn’t it kinda on purpose if you plan it out” she says sarcastically

“Tell them, before I do” he says seriously something she can tell is new to him.

“Just, give some time, ok?”

“Fine”

Theres silence for a secound

“So you wanna go to video store and get all the Star Wars movies?”

“……….Hell Yeah”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh Leave a comment? :)


	3. The one where the others are suspicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was on a family trip, thats why it took me so long to post this kinda short chapter, sorry.

Her Polished Chelsea boots strutted Down the Busy Manhattan sidewalk, her apricot colored hands shoved into her coat pockets as she reached Canaltown’s Coffee, and swung the glass door open, the sound of a bell following.

She looked around for a bit, her ice blue eyes searching the tables in the rowdy coffee shop. Until she spots her cousin and said cousin’s boyfriend, and at the same time they see her too.

“Jenny!” The Blonde meets her half way and hugs her tightly and Jenny Returns it, after a few seconds they let go but they she holds her forearms lovingly 

“Jesus I haven’t seen you since last Christmas” The raven girl smiles, she looks up to the boy next to her cousin, Freckles plastered onto his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, His Hair as dark as ink while it curled at the ends, contrasting his pale skin fairly. they hadn’t been dating for long, maybe a few months but she seemed to like him a lot, never shut up about him on the phone. He seemed alright.

“Oh, this is Mike, You already know about him” The two shook hands with a smile and took their seats in the booth

“You know she Never shuts up about you” Jenny Smiles 

“Jenny!”

“Is that right?” The Tall boy asks sarcastically

the blond girl slaps him in the arm jokingly 

Drinks are ordered and words are changing with laughs in-between.

“Oh yeah I’m living on campus” Jenny Nods

“Is the room small?” Nevaeh questions

“Kinda, But Jane fixed it up, so now we have extra space.”

“Jane?” Mike asks through his cup of black coffee

“Oh she’s my roommate,she’s really nice. Doesn’t get out much though.”

“Maybe we can meet her” 

“Oh yeah, Im sure she’ll be ok with it…Eventually” Jenny snickered “she owes me anyways, she’s got some guy over.”

“Oh, that must suck, to have her boyfriend around all the time” The blond Girl takes a sip of her coffee

“Oh, No. She’s not her boyfriend. Atlas I think he’s not. Said he was an old friend, I think his name is Austin or something, Anyways maybe on Friday you can come over or something? I don’t have class then so.”

Nevaeh looks at her boyfriend for silent conformation and when she receives it they both look back at Jenny and nod.

“Friday’s Great” Her ocean eyes gleam with excitement as she looks at Jenny with a smile.

—  
After Dustin Finds El in her apartment (Still unknown How) He visits all the other days after, as soon as his classes are over. Picking Up movies and Comic Books, even taking the Atari the boys shared between themselves hidden in his book bag to show her games she had missed out on. And suddenly his friends become suspicion at his absence lately, Mostly Will.

Will Byers was always a quite soul, but being so hushed let him be observant over his friends. so when Dustin came back from getting that girl’s number in the bar, he knew something was different. The days after that had just made it more obvious, He didn’t hang out after class or do his homework at the local parlor with rest of the party like usual. always having some excuse. And he wanted to Ask dustin, but he knew Dustin wouldn't spill with out being forced and Will didn’t have the attitude for that, so he called Max over and started to talk about how weird Dustin had been lately. After a while Max agreed and said that they should “pry it out of him”, at first Will declined the idea, but Max always had a way to make the boys do whatever she wanted.

So the next day after Dustin actually came home late, really late. His toes curling as he tip toed to his room, wincing at the creaking oak floors New York brings, they had been perpared for his arrival.

“Where have you been Dustin?” Dustin mentally curses himself and looks to the right of him.

Sitting on the booth stools of the counter, are Max and Will, textbooks sprawled infront of them, all closed like some props. Will looks pretty sorry for him and the devious look max is offering.

“I was….um getting” he looks around, his gaze falling to the small “Christmas tree” (more like an office plant) and blurts out “Christmas decorations!”

“Dustin, it’s Mid January” Will says softly

“Um, it for next year. Never can be to prepared” Dustin smiles 

A silence stretched out between them

“Well I should get to bed” Dustin scratches the back of his head

“Have you seen the Atari, Will?” Max asks to which Will shakes his head, it’s obviously scripted. But he doesn’t seem to like it either.

“I wonder where it is.” Max hops off her stool and walks around dustin, it causes the boy to hug his bookbag tightly, but max prys it off his hands. Taking out the game concel in victory

“Ah ha! Why are you Lying to us DUSTIN!” Max throws it over to the love seat

“I CAN’T TELL YOU” Mike and Lucas are really going to wake up

“Why not?” Will plays his part as good cop but Max says the same thing in a higher tone.

“El WONT LET ME!” The boy covers his mouth

“El?!” Max Asks she had heard the stories about the Legendary Eleven. Mind powers, shaved Head Fucking super hero, who was Dead. Supposibly?

“Not that El” He shakes his head frantically and puts his hand out in a “stop” possession

Max and Will share a look before drifting their eyes to dustin again

“Do you promise?” Max asks, and when dustin hesitates they know they have their answer.

“Holy shit” Max says to herself

“Where is she?” Will asks

“No” Dustin Shakes his head “I can’t tell you, she doesn’t want anyone to know, I wasn’t supposed to know, but I found her. In the bar”

“Comic book girl” Will gets up and stands next to max 

“Yeah, but I found out it was El and then and then I found her apartment and she promised she would tell you guys soon-“

“-we want to see her now!” Max nearly shouts

Dustin waves his hands down in a “Keep it down” motion 

“I. Can’t.” Dustin says loudly

“We’ll tell Mike, That you know” Everyone in the room looks at Will with surprise

“Will-“ 

“Show us now Dustin” Will says lowly, but it’s filled with confidence

dustin squeezes the bridge of his nose “It’s the middle of the night, I’ll show you tomorrow morning-”

“NOW!” Max Shouts “Or we tell Mike!” 

He mumbles some curse words, grabbing his coat from the couch and heading out the door, with his two friends following, grabbing their coats on the hooks and closing the door behind them with a slam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought, Ideas, Opinions?  
> Leave a Comment? :)

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know whatcha think with a comment please? :)


End file.
